Wounded Warrior Project rejects gun-owners, gun organizations, gun manufacturers

[L1A1Rocker]

I listened to the interview with Steve Nardizzi, CEO at WWP, on Tom's Sunday show. You can listen via podcast, or download it to your computer and play the JPG audio.

http://www.guntalk.com/site41.php

Mr Nardizzi, is a lawyer. Now there's SOME good lawyers out there, but try to nail one down to get a clear statement from one. Like pinning a snake to a board in a straight line! . Mr Nardizzi is no different. I've seldom heard so much double talk and waste of breath like that. Tom G. repeatedly tried to get him to admit they're just plain anti-gun.

Bottom line is they won't co-brand with anything that they can't get a return on investment, ROI. Specifically, you couldn't use their logo on a gun or knife. It's mainly because of lawyers behind every bush, ready to sue if your logo is used and somebody gets hurt or doesn't like your involvement.

My bottom line is I'm going to block their access to my checking account, which is how they would get my monthly pledge.

Well, it looks like WWP has reached that point in growth where they forget how they got were they are and begin to decline. It happens a lot unfortunately. They've started to hire lawyers to "proof" everything, and hired executives that are "professional executives" and not wounded warriers, or working for the wounded warriers for the love of what they are doing. When that happens you loose what was special, and often alienate those that got ya where ya are. Very sad.

[crabo]

Any suggestions for another WWP type to send my donations to? I want to keep contributing to to an organization that puts the money to good use for our soldiers.

[geargnasher]

Any suggestions for another WWP type to send my donations to? I want to keep contributing to to an organization that puts the money to good use for our soldiers.

Yes, there were several "known honest" ones mentioned in previous posts.

Gear

[Awsar]

[QUOTE=Recluse;1918586]As a veteran, I REFUSE to support ANY organization that coattails on our sacrifices and struggles in order advance a liberal PC agenda.

could not agree more.
sad it what it is

[375RUGER]

I haven't read this whole thread and I'm sure they do a lot of good things for wounded vets. It's too bad they have crappy policy makers. Those veterans were wounded while defending the constitution. I guess I won't give them any of my dirty money.

[JIMinPHX]

I REFUSE to support ANY organization that coattails on our sacrifices and struggles in order advance a liberal PC agenda.

That is my perspective as well.

[starmac]

They can come about face on their gun stance, but that 18 cents on the dollar getting to the vets does it for me.

[Roundnoser]

I sent WWP an E-mail to express my concerns. Here is their reply:

"We appreciate your concern regarding this matter. First, these questions arose as a result of a miscommunicated message when declining an opportunity for WWP to appear on Gun Talk Radio. This mistake has unfortunately led some people to question our support of the 2nd Amendment.

Please know WWP wholeheartedly supports the Constitution of the United States of America, which includes the Second Amendment. We recognize these are the freedoms our Alumni fought and sacrificed to protect!

WWP has a long history of facilitating therapeutic hunting and outdoor opportunities for Wounded Warriors as well as fundraising activities that involve firearms.

Thank you for your support of Wounded Warrior Project as we continue to honor and empower wounded warriors.

Thank you",

[Bad Water Bill]

That smells like a smoke screen.

With over 150 million coming in each year and only spending 16 of that to help vets why do they NOT have any kind of a range facility available to the vets?

[Recluse]

I sent WWP an E-mail to express my concerns. Here is their reply:

"We appreciate your concern regarding this matter. First, these questions arose as a result of a miscommunicated message when declining an opportunity for WWP to appear on Gun Talk Radio. This mistake has unfortunately led some people to question our support of the 2nd Amendment.

Please know WWP wholeheartedly supports the Constitution of the United States of America, which includes the Second Amendment. We recognize these are the freedoms our Alumni fought and sacrificed to protect!

WWP has a long history of facilitating therapeutic hunting and outdoor opportunities for Wounded Warriors as well as fundraising activities that involve firearms.

Thank you for your support of Wounded Warrior Project as we continue to honor and empower wounded warriors.

Thank you",

What a coincidence. . . I got the same exact response, but to an inquiry in which I asked specifically about some financials. . .

What this tells me is either:

A. They are inundated with angry veterans, gun-owners and supporters and are doing good just to send out an auto-reply, and/or

B. They couldn't give a damn less what we think.

I suspect it's about half and half.

I'll help support Soldier's Angels and Airborne Angel Cadets, Guitars For Vets, and I'll keep an eye and ear open for stories in the paper or in the local news about vets who need help.

[Roundnoser]

Does anyone donate to the Purple Heart Service Foundation? This might also be a good place to donate to vets...

http://www.mophsf.org/

[imashooter2]

Does anyone donate to the Purple Heart Service Foundation? This might also be a good place to donate to vets...

http://www.mophsf.org/

I donated a car. They sold it and never transferred the title. The guy that bought it abandoned it in a Philly ghetto. I had to fight with the police for weeks over the fines and fees they said I owed the city. Thank God I saved my receipt from the PH or my donation would have cost me a couple thousand bucks. Maybe they do good work. They won't get any more money or donations from me.

[wch]

Do as I did: send them an email telling them that they'll get no money from you.

[snuffy]

Well, it looks like WWP has reached that point in growth where they forget how they got were they are and begin to decline. It happens a lot unfortunately. They've started to hire lawyers to "proof" everything, and hired executives that are "professional executives" and not wounded warriers, or working for the wounded warriors for the love of what they are doing. When that happens you loose what was special, and often alienate those that got ya where ya are. Very sad.

L1A1, that is well put, kind of sums it up nicely.

My overall take on it is the WWP has become a business. It can no longer be called a charity. Or a place where unemployable lawyers can work and think they are contributing to a cause.

I don't begrudge anybody a paycheck. But when every single thing they do must be run by a bunch of lawyers to see if they can do it, it costs money. Dollars that people donate that they think is going directly to a wounded vet.

What this has done is bring them under scrutiny to reveal they are highly inefficient, and too little of the donations are getting where they belong.

Do they help some wounded/disabled vets? Yes, without a doubt, but a clean-up is in order to save some money so more could get help.

[Taylor]

I stand with Recluse!!

[Grandpas50AE]

I have not given to WWP, thank goodness. I do give, but usually it is a project where the donation goes directly to the recipient by volunteers (such as Santa's Helpers or Angel Tree or a food bank), and usually is not money. Long ago I gave to an organization that I later found out was using the money to promote political agendas instead of helping the recipients (that one didn't last long). I will make sure to tell my family of this problem with WWP, as all but my youngest sister are vets (1 Marine, 2 Army, 1 USN).

I'm with J.D. on this one, someone using us to line their pockets is no longer trustworthy, and will never see a dime of my money.

Roger

[snuffy]

Tom Gresham wrote an article that sums up his feelings and future in dealings with WWP. I agree 100% with his take on it.

http://www.shootingwire.com/features/226802.

[wrangler5]

Sadly, many large "charitable" organizations morph into self-perpetuating operations at some point in their existence.

The "March of Dimes" was started to find a cure for polio. When the Salk vaccine essentially eliminated polio as a widespread scourge, rather than declare a victory and fold their tent the organization looked around for another battle to fight and kept itself going. (They now fight prematurity and birth defects, a fight which can never be "won" so they won't have to reconfigure themselves again, and their CEO can continue to collect over a half million in salary and benefits indefinitely.) Maybe they do good work, and maybe their executives provide full value for their pay, but the organization has a life of its own apart from its charitable purposes.

I suspect the WWP is in this same mode, albeit on a smaller scale than monster operations like the Red Cross or March of Dimes. (I believe the Red Cross is another operation that has a very low ratio of benefits paid to donations received.)

[delta1]

The Tom Gresham article is a good read and 100% right in my opinion.